Pipe-suspending apparatus



March 4 1924 W. E. RICH PIPE SUSPENDING APPARATUS lf Filed April 2, 192s2 Sheets-Sheet l v VEN TOR W. .6'. RICH /77710 fr/vf.' 7.5'.

March 4, 1924. 1,486,035

. w. E. RICH PIPE SUSPENDING' APPARATUS Filed April 2. 1923 2sheets-sheet a #TMR/vaya A MJJWM Patented Mar. 4, 1924.

UNITED sTATEs WILLIAM EUGENE RICH, OF BRADLEY, ARKANSAS.

PIPE-SUSPENDING APPARATUS.

Application filed April 2,

To all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, WILLIAM E. RICH, a citizen of the United States,residing at Bradley, in the county of Lafayette and State of Arkansas,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in a Pipe- SuspendingApparatus, of which the following is a specication.

rlhe invention relates to apparatus used in connection with welldrilling and the like, and has for its primary object the provision of anovel and improved pipe suspending clamp adapted to be used at thesurface of a well when drilled.

Another object is the provision of a clamp of this character equippedwith spring operated pipe engaging means automatically operable toengage a pipe section, and provided with manually operable releasingmeans.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device of this characterwhich may be assembled around a pipe and secured in position.

A further object of the invention is to provide in a device of thischaracter means whereby the apparatus may be adapted to engage varioussizes of pipe by a simple change in a few of the parts thereof.

With these general objects in View, and such others as willV be apparentfrom the description, my invention resides in the novel construction,combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter described and claimedand illustrated in the accompany drawings, in which- Figure 1 is anelevation showing the clamp as applied;

Figure 2, a top plan view thereof;

Figure y3, a vertical section through the clamp, illustrating the pipeengaging means;

Figure 4, a top plan view with the parts in open position; and

Figure 5, a fragmentary. end elevation, illustrating the manner ofsecuring the parts in assembled relation.

In detail, the invention consists of two base blocks 1 and 2 adapted tobe disposed at the upper end of a well casing and pivotally connected atone end by means of a 1923. Serial No. 629,539. l

of the base blocks and flanges is provided with a lateral extension wall5, each of which is provided on its outer face with a recessed portion 6over which slides a yoke 7 pivotally connected at its lower end to oneof the walls through a transverse borel 8, and slidable throughv ahorizontal slot 9 arranged in the opposite wall in alignment with thetransverse bore. The slot 9 extends inwardly from the wall over theouter edge and is adapted to receive the yoke therethrough when theparts are ink assembledI relation. The yoke is of suflicient dimensionso that when engaged with the respective wall members it may be swungupwardly over the upper edges of the wall members and moved inwardly ofthe apparatus to assume the position illustrated in Figure 1 in fulllines. When in this position, the wall members 5 will be clampedtogether. A dowel pin 11 is adapted to be passed through a line oftransverse bores 12 in each of the wall members 5, whereby verticaldisplacement of the parts is prevented. Each semi-cylindrical flange 4is provide with a pair of transverse slots 13 in which are journaledclutch dogs 14 extending entirely through the flanges with their innerends projecting towards the center of the apparatus with the dogs ofeach pair running at right angles to one another, as illustrated inFigure 2 and Figure 4. The slots 13 are of suiicient diameter so that avertical clearance is provided for the vertical movej ment of the dogs14 therein on their pivots 15, and the inner ends of each of the clutchdogs are bifurcated to provide arms 16 between which are mountedremovable clutch teeth 17 secured in the arms by means of the pins 18,passed therethrough. The outer periphery of each flange 14 carriesadjacent the top a lateral fia-nge 19 between which and the outerportion of each of the clutch dogs 14, is mounted a strong contractilespring 20 suitably secured to the under surface of the flange and vtothe clutch dog. The'action of the springs 20 tends at all times to drawthe outer ends of the clutch dogs upwardly whereby, owing to theirpivotal arrangement in the slots 13, their inner ends and, consequentlythe teeth 17, will be projected downwardly at the center of theapparatus, and when a pipe, as designated at-21, is mounted on theclamp,

vthe teeth 17 will be forced into engagement points, as illustratedinlfigures l and 2,

with the pipe surface automatically clamping it at the desired position.The outer end of each clutch dog is protected against accidentalmovement by means of the shield 22 secured to the flange 19 andprojecting laterally and downwardly over the contiguous end of theclutch dog. Each shield is open at the lower portion of its face opposedto the adjacent shield to provide a -clearancefor a bowed rod 23 securedat the opposite ends and to the extreme outer end of each clutch dog, asillustrated in Figures l and 2. This construction provides a rigidconnection between the clutch dogs carried by each of the flanges 4.

Pivoted at one end between upright lugs 24C carried by one of thefianges 4 is a lever 25 curvedy intermediate its ends to correspond withthe curvature of the adjacent flange upon which it is mounted andprovided with a handle 26 extending, when in position, over the lateralwall members 5 of the respective sections. rl`he flange 4 of theopposite section is provided with a simi larly lmounted lever 27 havingits outer end provided with a reduced portion 28 adapted f to extendinto a socket 29 formed in the opposed face of the lever 25, so thatwhen the sections are in assembled relation the levers 25 and -27 willwork as a unit when operated through the medium of the handle 26. A hook30 is provided on the handle 2.6 to engage with the eye 31 carried bythe lever 27 for securing the parts in locked relation. At diametricallydisposed each of the levers 25 and 27 carries a depending arm 32 pivotedat its upper end to the adjacent lever as at 33, and having its lowerlend forked to engage over the adjacent rod 23. In the normal assembledposition of the apparatus, as illustrated in Figure l, the dependingarms 32 throughl their connection with the rods 33 support the levers 25and 27 in raised position so that the handle 26 is elevated as shown. In

. this position 'of the various parts, a pipe engaged by the clamp willbe held against any downward movement owing to the gripping engagementof the teeth 17 car- "ried by the clutch dogs 14. lt is obvious that anydownward movement of the pipe will be arrested by the en,f agenientI ofthe `clutch dogs, as they will be forced into incense the outer ends ofthe clutch dogs upwardly and return the parts to their normal engagedposition. Y

ln operation, `the apparatus is assembled by placing the open sectionsaround the pipe and clamping them in position by means of the engagementof the yoke y7 over the adjacent lateral wall members -5 of eachsection, and, when it is, desired to dismount the apparatus, the yoke 7`is swung outwardly until it assumes a position at right angles 'to theflanges whereupon` it may be slid transversely through the slot 9 andthe two sections bent to permit the apparatus to be removed. A reversalof this operation secures the sections in assembled relation.

While l have illustrated and described certain details entering into thevconstruction and operation of the invention, l desire it to beunderstood that l do not intend to limit myself to these, but that anysuch may be used and any modifications made, as will fall withinthescope of the v invention as claimed.

claim l. A device of the character described comprising a base formed ofseparable sections, means for securing said sections in assembledrelation, a plurality of clutch dogs pivotally mounted through each ofsaid sections, springs connecting the outer ends of said dogs andadjacent base'sections7 said springs acting to depress the inner ends ofsaid dogs, rods connecting the outer ends of all of the clutch dogs oneach section, depressible levers on each of said base sections, meansfor connecting said levers as a unit when said base is assembled,depending links pivoted to said levers on each section and engaged withsaid connecting rods whereby said rods and dogs are depressed ondepression of the levers to elevate the inner ends of the clutch dogs.

2. A device of' the character described comprisinga base form-ed of apair of separable sections, a pair of spring actuated clutch dogspivotally mounted through transverse openings in each of said sections,a rod connecting the outer end of each pair of clutch dogs, adepressiible lever mounted in the top of each section, means forconnecting' said levers to move the same asal unit when the basesections are assembled, and depending links on each lever engaging theintermediate portions of the dog connecting rods.

31A device of the character described comprising a base formed of a pairof hinged sections, sprin actuated clutch dogs mounted through sai basesections, levers carried by said sections and adapted to move as a unitwhen the sections are assembled cooperativel connected with said dogsfor retracting t e same, lateral eXtensions on the outer ends of saidbase sections, :1` pivoted yoke engageable with said extensions to lockthe sections in assembled 10 position, and means engageable With the ex*tensions to prevent vertical movement of the base sections. Y

In testimony whereof I ax my signature.

IWLLIAM EUGENE RICH.

